Cameron's Story
by Ace aka 002
Summary: Do you remember that kid who got kicked off of Duelist Kingdom? If you have no clue who I'm talking about, listen up. His name is Cameron he lives in Domino City with his mother. He decides to enter Battle City with his friends.
1. Begginings

  
  
"See ya later mom. I'm headed off to the arcade. Alright?" Said a brown haired and eyed boy to his almost elderly mother.  
  
"Don't for get your keys." She said tossing him a key chain with only three keys on it. While still in the air, two cats sitting on the near by couch watched as the keys seemed to fly straight into his open hand. "You'd loss your head if I didn't pack it in your lunchbox every day. What is it that you like about that monster?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, you mean on my key chain? He's the Witty Phantom. I like the way he looks, cool, calm and collected. Well I better be going now. Bye." He said heading down the front steps of their house.  
  
"Bye." She responded.  
  
After walking about two blocks the arcade finally came into view. Finally. We made it. He thought to him self as he entered the arcade. His ears were bombarded by buzzes, bloops, and beeps. He spotted a claw game and went over to it only to find that they had no Witty Phantom plushy.  
  
"Oh well can't win them all. There it is!" He said noticing a large group of pods each with a person in it. Over each pod was a plasma t.v. screen showing what each person was doing. Most were just walking around, but one person was in a battle with a Rabid Horse Man and that person had managed to summon a La Ginn with Dark Energy Equipped. The Rabid Horse Man did not stay a threat for very long.  
  
"What the heck are these things?" Said a goth to no one specific.  
  
"These THINGS as you called them are Kaiba Corp's newest device in virtual reality technology. While in these pods a player's senses are manipulated giving them a realistic dueling experience." The boy said answering his question.  
  
"Sorry," started the goth "but I don't speak nerd." And he walked away.  
  
"Ah man! I didn't even get a chance to battle!" said a child being taken out of one of the pods he had just lost all his life points after jumping off a cliff trying to escape from a herd of wild Kuriboh. All the winning the kid was doing was just making the crowd laugh at him even more.  
  
"Next!" shouted a man. He was allowing people in and out of the pods.  
  
"I guess that would be me." The boy said.  
  
After he walked into the pod and putting on the helmet the pod shut and did its usual start up humming. A menu came down over the screen of the helmet and offered the choice of either new game or continue.  
  
"Continue." He stated in a very clear voice. The pod quickly took a retinal scan and a finger print ID.  
  
"Confirmation of continuation." Stated a robotic voice. This was not the boys first time playing this game. "Character Name: Kelik. Level: 23. Rank: .......Respectable." The voice said, with what sounded like a hint of sarcasm at the end.  
  
"Let's see what fate has planed for me today." He said with a smirk of confidence. As he walked a small group of harpies descended form the sky and began their attack formation.  
  
"Harpies." He said thinking out loud. While drawing his opening hand from the duel disk that had appeared on his wrist. "There tough. So I'll try this. GO SONIC BIRD!" He shouted placing the card in a slot built in to the duel disk. As the monster appeared in front of him. "Now take flight and destroy the harpies. To aid I also summon Harpies brother." He continued, placing another card on the duel disk. The winged monsters took flight.  
  
One by one the harpies were destroyed. In a final attempt for help, the last harpie let out a dying shriek. Racing across the sky to save his masters came the Harpie's Pet Dragon, after seeing the last one finally killed, it quickly destroyed the Harpie's Brother and then the Sonic Bird.  
  
"Oh shit." The boy said with some fear in his voice as he began to run. The dragon chasing him.  
  
"Life points at 3200." Said the same computer voice from before.  
  
"GO TWIN-HEADED FIRE DRAGON!" Shouted a new voice. As the monster flew in, burning up the Harpie's Pet Dragon. "You've been playing this game for a little over a month. Yet you're still playing like a N00b. How sad."  
  
"What? Who is it? Wes is that you!?" the boy asked unable to see the person.  
  
"Gee, what gave it away?" Wes answered back sarcastically.  
  
"Well let's see. The Asian complication. Your glasses so think they could stop a bullet. And oh yeah the hair." He listed continuing their battle of wits.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. How about we quit now can go cash in those points I won defeating those harpies." He said knowing that what he said would get on the other's nerves.  
  
"YOU DEFEATED THE HARPIES!?" The boy shouted falling right into Wes's trap. "I'm the one who defeated those dumb birds! You just killed their pet!"  
  
"Are you gonna cash in your points or not?"  
  
"Sure I guess." He continued working him self down form a rage. "I think I now have enough to buy that third copy of Shield and Sword I've been wanting for my deck."  
  
"Log out played 8." Said Wes to looking up at the virtual sky. His player body gave off a brilliant glow and slowly dissolved into nothingness. Back in reality his pod was opening up as he took a few steps out and waited for his friend.  
  
"Log out player 3." Said the boy doing the same as Wes. After getting out they headed over towards the area where they cash in their points.  
  
"What will it be boys?" Asked the man behind the counter.  
  
"I'll take a....... Vorse Raider." Wes answered. The man opened the glass case and took out the Vorse Raider.  
  
"And I'll take the Shield and Sword."  
  
"Okay, give me just a minute." The Man said reaching for the Magic card. "You have some extra points you can get a second card. If you like."  
  
"Really? In that case I'll also take a Witty Phantom too." He said without looking back into the case.  
  
"Here you go boys." Said the man handing them their cards.  
  
"Don't you have like 20 of that card?" Wes asked some what annoyed.  
  
"Yeah. So?" He responded.  
  
"I don't think I'm ever gonna understand you." Wes replied giving up.  
  
"Fine then you take it." The boys said pushing the card into Wes's pocket. "It might just come in handy." As the two walked they ran into some one familiar. Quite literally.  
  
"Ow. Sorry I did not see you their little man. Hey don't I know you?" Apologized the stranger.  
  
"No it's my fault; I was not watching where I was going. Hey you're Joey Wheeler! The runner up at Duelist Kingdom." The boy replied excited.  
  
"Yeah I am. But I know I've seen YOU some where before. Now where was it?"  
  
"Here maybe this will jog your memory." Said Wes going behind The boy holding his head in his elbow.  
  
"Help! Please somebody help me!" Said the boy playing along.  
  
"Oh, you're that kid that got kicked off the island!" Joey said some what embarrassed, remembering that even though Yugi got back his star chips they came too late and the boy was shipped out. "Hey what's your name anyways?"  
  
"The names Cameron and he's Wes." The boy replied. "It's a pleasure to finally meat you, again."  
  
"Sorry to hit and run but I gotta go meet up with the rest of the gang over at burger world. If you can keep up your welcome to join us." He said half way out the door starting to run. Cameron and Wes joined him.  
  
Burger World is a part of a chain of fast food restaurants. Tea worked their part time after school. But don't tell the manager that or else she'd be fired. As the three enter the restaurant they see Yugi, Bakura, Tristan, Duke, and some one else all sitting in a booth. The new person looked a lot like a Seto Kaiba if he was a girl and had blue hair that is.  
  
"Well, Bakura looks like I owe you 20 bucks. Joey WAS on time, for once." Tristan said acting very smug hoping he'd get on Joey's nerves. "While we're waiting for Tea to take her lunch hour. How about you explain those freshmen standing behind you. They finally start a Joey Wheeler fan club over at the nursery?"  
  
"For your information they didn't ....yet. These two," He said pointing out the boys "are Wes and Cameron. Cameron was the kid who got kicked off Duelist Kingdom remember, Yugi? I meat them over at the arcade paying that virtual reality game, and to be honest they were pretty good. I thought they might be able to help us fight off them 'Rare Hunters' Yugi called us here to talk about."  
  
"Wait just a damn minute!" Wes demanded interrupting Joey. "Could some one please fill us in here!?"  
  
Yugi began to explain every thing about the Millennium Items (well as much as he knew) about how Marik a.k.a. Malik took over Bandit Keith's mind and almost killed Yugi, also about what they learned at the Egyptian exhibit and, finally about the Egyptian God cards.  
  
"Whoa!" Cameron said in a mental fatigue. "That's a lot of information to learn in one Tuesday."  
  
"Okay now its time for a dumb question," Began Wes "If their called the millennium Items why are their about seven of them? And another thing when did Seto become a girl?" He asked annoyed that he did not ask earlier.

"That's a very good first question." Said the Girl, standing up and speaking to him for the first time. "But I'm afraid none of us have that answer. To answer your second question, I'm Bethany. I'm Seto's older twin sister."  
  
"Oh! So YOU'RE this Bethany Kaiba I have heard about." Cameron said, startled.  
  
"So," Yugi said getting back to the point. "we all should enter the tournament and do our best, even if it's for our different reasons. Oh Cameron, Wes if what I here is correct, I am looking forward to see the both of you duel." He walked out the door. Silently calling this meeting to an end.


	2. Love descends time, but so does hate

On Friday of that week Bethany is waiting out side the game shop for Yugi. Stupid holidays. They last all the week BUT FRIDAY! This just sucks! Oh well maybe today...  
  
"Hey, wait up a minute!" Shouted Cameron from down the block. He started running to catch up. At first he did not know what Bethany, or just Beth for short, was doing. He quickly caught on. "This is crazy."  
  
"What is?" She asked knowing he knew why she was their.  
  
"I may have not know you for very long, Tuesday to be exact, but if Seto finds out about this he'll be pissed."  
  
"I'm not afraid of him. Besides I'm older than him by three minuets." She protested holding up three fingers. "Besides where the heck is Yugi?!"  
  
"Maybe he's in school. You know that place where we are held hostage until 2:30." He said with sarcasm. He glanced at his watch. "If we don't hurry were gonna' be late for our creative writing class. You know how upset Mr. Tokuoka gets when people interrupt him in the middle of class." He continued, he saw something move in the corner of his eye. "Hey isn't that Yugi?"  
  
"Where?!" Beth asked jumping out of her skin. Pressing her face against the glass of the card shop.  
  
"Um...in the alleyway to the side." He said now a little scared by Beth. He pointed out the ally. As they walked into the ally they noticed a black spinning vortex just out of sight of the main road. "I think I saw Yugi going in here."  
  
"Ah....I don't think we should do this." Beth said with a hit of fear in her voice. Beth? Yes? I don't know if we can trust Cameron. I sense an overpowering furious rage and an even stronger innocence.  
  
Cameron was fed up with the waiting. "One of my new friends, some one you care about could be in trouble and you're just gonna stand their! You're the one who usually has the heart of gold and drags me along. Now it's my turn."  
  
Hehehe Heart of Gold? You have no idea how right you are. Beth thought to her self. "Fine you make a good point!" She grabs him by the back of his brown vest and marches in to the vortex of darkness. They screamed in unison as they fell for what seemed forever. When they landed they herd a stomping sound coming from behind them.  
  
"I should have stayed in bed today." Groaned Cameron seeing that they did have company. Unfortunately it was a Summoned Skull.  
  
"Get behind me." Beth ordered at him. Her eyes had become like stones, she had a plan.  
  
"Gee, now I feel safe." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Quiet. I need to concentrate!" She said. She started muttering something under her breath. It was a chant that sounded some what familiar to Cameron. About half way through it, a rip started to appear in the space in front of them. Out of the rip walked two figures. The Dark Magician and The Dark Magician Girl!  
  
"HOLY HELL! YOU CAN SUMMON DUEL MONSTERS!?" Cameron said in aw. He had not noticed it but Beth had started giving off a golden glow as the Symbol of the Millennia appeared on her forehead.  
  
"Dark Magic Attack!" She ordered to the magicians. They rose their staffs and together they destroyed the Summoned Skull.  
  
"But? Attack? Girl? Magic? Dark? Skull? Destroyed? How? When? Who?" Cameron  
  
asked stuttering, unable to use complete sentences. Beth had stopped glowing and the symbol disappeared.  
  
"You're confused aren't you?" Beth asked Cameron. He nodded his still trying to understand the concept of sentences. "This is gonna sound crazy," Beth started. She explained the powers of her millennium heart, how she got it, and the Yami that was given to her, the spirit of the queen Eriza. Beth had noticed that Cameron had had fallen now in complete perplexity. "Are you gonna be....ok?" She asked him.  
  
"I think I will be. Just as soon as I regain my sanity." He noticed that the Summoned Skull's remains had started to fade away into nothingness. "I think we should hurry up and find Yugi before another one of those finds him first. Hey with those powers can you like summon Superman or something?"  
  
"I agree to the first part. But for the second, you have no idea what you're talking about." She said with a smirk, a little nervous at first.  
  
They started walking through the dark abyss. Beth's heart guiding them to Yugi. During the walk she started ranting about how "They" should keep holidays going all week long. Cameron did not care; he was too deep in thought.  
  
So she's the Queen? Apparently, what does that matter? WHAT DOES THAT MATTER! Um yeah that's what I asked. I'll explain it later, it too long and depressing a story. Besides she says I don't know what I'm talking about?! Our new forms may have only meat Tuesday. But we have known each other for centuries. Beth stopped suddenly. Cameron nearly fell over her.  
  
"Did you say something?" She asked.  
  
"No. Why? What did you hear?" He answered back.  
  
"Just something about us knowing each other....for.....centuries." She started speaking normally and started to slow down as if she was realizing something. She looked straight into Cameron's eyes. It was not like she was looking at him, but rather into him.  
  
"COME OUT SPIRIT WHO POSSES THIS MORTAL BOY!" She shouted. Cameron suddenly became very serious. He took off and folded his baseball cap, placing it in his back pocket. This was quite strange since Cameron never took off his hat unless he was at home or at school, and he'd only take it off at school if he was threatened with detention. He started speaking but with a much deeper voice.  
  
"Now that you know I exist, I suppose little charade is up?"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Aren't you the sister of THE Seto Kaiba?"  
  
"Yes but that does not answer my question!"  
  
"I'm getting to that. How impatient these modern day humans are. Would you believe me if I said he was the one who caused me to lose every thing 5,000 years ago?"  
  
"I don't follow."  
  
"5,000 years ago I was an Egyptian like you. A merchant by day, an assassin for hire by night. Your brother, Seto, at the time was a high priest. You were the Queen and Yugi was the Pharaoh."  
  
"That sounds about right, so far."  
  
"One night, the night of the great duel, your brother came to me and requested my services. He said that if he was to lose the duel to the Pharaoh, I was to 'finish him off'."  
  
"So you're the one who got the Pharaoh trapped in the puzzle!" You sick -! Eriza watch your mouth. I'm not disagreeing with you, just saying.  
  
"Not quite, I never intended to kill him. That would be like killing God himself. I decided to appease him for a little while. I never even looked at the Pharaoh in a wrong way. One of Seto's minions found out about what I did, or did not do in this case, and told him. As a 'reward' your brother sealed my soul away into my dagger and tossed it into the shadow realm."  
  
"Your dagger?"  
  
"This dagger." Cameron opened up his back pack and pulled out the weapon. The handle was gold, the blade was normal metal, and the sheath had the Millennium symbol on it. "You see, in order to pass on to the other side I need to follow out Seto's wishes,"  
  
"Why do you have to do that?"  
  
"Your brother put a curse on me. So I can't live in peace."  
  
"So you're here to kill Yugi? I hope to realize I won't let you do that!"  
  
"Calm down lover girl. Yugi is not my target. The spirit in him is. It does not matter whose body the Pharaoh is in as long as it's the Pharaoh. And I don't need to kill him. Your brother told me to finish him off. Since the outcome of the duel was lost I just need to beat him in a duel. But for me to do that we need to find him first."  
  
"Fine but I'm keeping my eye on you. What's your name anyways?"  
  
"You may call me Zander." The two of them started walking. Then it hit Beth like a sack of bricks.  
  
"Cameron? Zander? Who ever the hell you are?" Beth asked.  
  
"Yes?" Cameron answered.  
  
"How did you get that dagger any way?"  
  
Cameron took back control of his body. "Back on Duelist Kingdom, before I was kicked off, I saw the dagger on the ground and I picked it up. I thought it would be a cool little souvenir; to bring back home. I had no idea it would turn my life upside down and me inside out."  
  
"So Pegasus had two items?" She asked thinking out loud.  
  
"I don't know." Cameron said shrugging his shoulders. "I do." Zander said interrupting. "It would be best that I explain. Alright Cameron? Sure. But for future reference, when it comes down to my physical and or mental being; I call the shots. Fine. Back when I was trapped in the shadow realm the dagger eventually found its way into Bakura's hands. He was testing his 'Soul Card' ability on some jerk duelist and when it ended I was inadvertently taken out of the shadow realm. Then I found you. I get it!"  
  
"You two have a very strange Yami/Human relationship." Strange is putting it lightly. Eriza! What? You were thinking that.  
  
"Yeah I know, it's hard to have a private conversation this way." He was switching between Yami and human as he spoke. It was getting frustrating.  
  
"Is that...? It's Yugi!" Beth said excided. He was lying unconscious on the ground. She ran up to him. "YUGI!" she shouted trying to wake him, their was a sound of fear in her voice. Please, Yugi get up. Don't be - Yugi started to come to.  
  
"Beth? Where am I? What am I doing here? Cameron? Is that you?"  
  
"Well your half right." Cameron responded. "And as to your other questions...- " Beth cut him off.  
  
"Were in the Shadow realm. We were hopping you could tell us what your doing here."  
  
"Can you walk?" Cameron asked. Yugi tried getting up. He stood up for a second and fell right back down.  
  
"Apparently not." Yugi said. He tilted his head up so he could just see behind them. "If I may quote you Cameron: Oh Shit!"  
  
"What?" Bath and Cameron asked at the same time. Yugi pointed over their shoulders. They turned around only to find a Tri-Horned Dragon behind them.  
  
"Let's see it has 2300 attack right? I can't think of any monsters strong enough to defeat him." Beth said with some panic.  
  
Well your Physical being is at stake. What do you suggest Cameron? You can take it over from here. Perfect. "I have a plan." Zander said.  
  
"What is it?" The others asked. He remained silent. The dragon roared. A sign it was about to attack.  
  
"Well!?" Beth demanded impatiently.  
  
"Wait for it." The Dragon opened its mouth inhaling air. "Wait for it." The Dragon lowered its head and launched a fire ball. "Wait for it." The fire ball headed straight for them. "NOW! I activate my trap card Magical Cylinders!" The cylinder formed in front of Zander. Another above the dragon. The fire ball flew into to the cylinder and flew out of the other cylinder destroying the dragon.  
  
"That. Was. Awesome!" Beth said amazed that they were still alive. "Now it's my turn to ask. How did you do that?"  
  
"Like you I can also use shadow magic out side of a duel. You can summon monsters. I can summon magic, traps and inanimate monsters. Which reminds me. Yugi, take these." Zander pulled out two cards. One magic and one trap. They formed a goblet of red liquid and a container. He opened the container and pulled out the one pill inside and placed it in the goblet. It sank to the bottom. Zander kneeled down and forced the fluid and the pill down Yugi's throat.  
  
"What was that?" Yugi asked gasping for air.  
  
"Some red medicine and nutrient Z." Cameron responded taking back his body. Beth grabbed him by his collar and held him up.  
  
"Did you just drug him?!" She asked, demanding an answer.  
  
"No of course not. Technically one's a toxin."  
  
"WHAT!" Beth threw Cameron on to the ground.  
  
"Their to make him better. Yugi try standing." Cameron said. Yugi stood up and stayed up. "How do you feel?"  
  
"A little woozy, my legs are a little stiff but other than that, not to bad." He said swaying a little.  
  
Out of the darkness a voice, just above a wispier, mocked them "What fools."  
  
"Did you say something?" Beth asked. Déjà vu. Oh look a Cat! What? Where? Never mind, I guess you have to be a modern day human to get that reference.  
  
"I didn't say anything." Yugi replied.  
  
"Last time you asked me that, it turned out I was an assassin." Cameron answered with wit. Yugi gave him a strange look. "I'll explain later. Now let's get out of here."  
  
"I'll let you pass..." The voice had returned but this time much louder. "if you give me my queen." 


	3. The Pharaoh, The Queen, The Assassin, Th...

Notes for the author: Okay the legal mumbo jumbo; I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its related companies. I do however own the characters Cameron and Zander. The Character of Wes belongs to Lifevirus7 and the characters of Bethany and Eriza belong to Beth aka Android Eighteen. (Both of whom are members of) As far as cards go I do own: Non-loyal Magician, Blood Brothers, and All In One. If you want you may use these cards just let me know. I know most of you do not like Bethany Kaiba but (and I don't mean to sound rude) you'll just have to get used to her. When ever a person with a Yami (i.e. Yugi and Yami Yugi) thinks, they will each say one sentence. So Yami will say one sentence, then Yugi, than Yami again. Special thanks go to my friends who helped me in some parts of this, and Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. If this is the first chapter you're reading I highly suggest that you go back and read the past two chapters if you want to have idea of what's going on. Also please note that I am not a good speller or writer. So please forgive my misuses of "Their" "There" and "They're" amongst other things. Future chapters of this story will take longer to make (due to school opening soon) so please be patience. Any text found in-between "[" and "]" are thoughts not speech. Thank you, and enjoy.

"I'll let you pass..." The voice had returned but this time much louder. "if you give me my queen."  
  
"Who's there?" Beth asked the darkness all around her.  
  
"Come now my queen, you sound like you don't remember me. Ouch, that hurts." The voice seemed to be getting closer.  
  
"That voice. It sounds familiar." Yugi said.  
  
"I was just thinking the same thing." Cameron added.  
  
"I'm glad someone remembers me." The voice said. It was coming closer. Out of the shadows stepped the creator of the sound. He was wearing an orange sweater with the hood up over his head; he appeared to be the same age as Cameron. It was Wes! But there was something a little off about him.  
  
Cameron was shocked. "Wes?! What are you doing down here? We have to go before whoever made those monsters shows up!"  
  
"Hehehe. The names of my mind slaves aren't something I care about."  
  
Beth was thinking out loud. "Mind slaves? That means you must be Marik!"  
  
"Correct my queen. Now come with me and your friends will be spared."  
  
"And if I don't go willingly?"  
  
"I'm not giving you an option. I may be in control of one slave but I can always control another!" Wes slowly raised his left hand and placed an open palm towards Beth. Beth's eyes became glazed over. Again the symbol of the Millennia appeared on her fore head. Wes pulled back his hood to reveal that he had one as well.  
  
"Give her back!" Yugi ordered. As he said this Yami and Zander took control just in case.  
  
"Oh how nice the ancient spirits have come out to play." Wes/Marik mocked with a grin on his face. "If you want your wench back so badly you'll have to win her from me in a duel."  
  
"Care to make it a two on two duel?" Yami Yugi asked. "Your two puppets against me and Zander."  
  
Zander spoke up. "Winner takes the queen, and you remove your hold on Wes's body."  
  
"Sounds like a deal to me. Let the shadow game BEGIN!" Wes/Marik threw his hand in the air, as the shadows in front of them opened up putting a gap between the four duelists. Out of the gap rose two sarcophagi and each one was marked with the sphinx. They slid in-between Yugi and Zander, and Beth and Wes/Marik.  
  
"What are these for?" Zander asked?  
  
Wes/Marik answered. "Any moron can place cards on a table in front of them, but in this shadow game your mind will also be tested as well. When you damage your opponent's life points, even if it means their points would reach zero, you must answer a riddle and if you get it right you do damage as usual."  
  
"And if we get it wrong?" Yami Yugi asked.  
  
"Well, you'll just have to figure that out your self."  
  
Zander turned to Yami Yugi. "If at all possible, let's not find out."  
  
"The riddles you will answer are from all over time. Some go as far back to ancient times and other might have been though up just yesterday, so stay on your toes. I hope you don't mind if I start." Wes/Marik said. "I'll start by summing the Ancient Lamp (Atk: 1050) and use its effect to summon La Jinn (Atk: 1800) onto the battle field. It's your turn Zander." Zander looked over at Yami, he was standing calm and cool like he always does, but something seemed to be worrying him.  
  
[Yami? Is their some thing wrong Yugi? It's nothing; I'm just not feeling to well. Don't worry; we'll save Wes, get Beth and get out. I'll try to hang on until then. Please do.]  
  
"Well? Don't keep us waiting." Wes/Marik said.  
  
"Fine. I'll play." Zander stopped and thought for a second. "This card in defense and play this magic card, Gravekeeper's Servant." As he spoke a little demon appeared. It was smoke black with little red eyes; he was armed with a pitchfork. "In short if I'm attacked the attacker sends the top card of their deck to the graveyard. It's your turn Beth."  
  
"........." Beth had no control over herself, she could not even talk. She placed one card face down in defense mode and ended her turn.  
  
"It seems everyone is playing defense," Yami Yugi stated. "I'll play Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (Atk: 1500) in attack mode. Now, Gazelle destroy the Ancient Lamp!" Gazelle leaped up and in one swipe of its paw the lamp was destroyed. Wes/Marik should have lost 450 life points but his counter did not go down. The sarcophagus between Wes/Marik and Beth opened up. Sand flew out of it, and formed words in midair.  
  
"Well now Pharaoh can you answer the sphinx's riddle?" Wes/Marik asked very full of him self.  
  
Yami read the riddle. "A woman has seven children. Half of them are male. How is this possible?"  
  
Zander thought out loud for a moment. "Seven children. Half male. Well unless she has three and a half children I don't think it's possible."  
  
Yami figured it out. "All of the lady's children are male." The sand that formed the riddle gathered into a cluster and spelt out the word CORRECT. The sand then flew back into the sarcophagus as it closed. Wes/Marik's life points lowered to 3550.  
  
Wes/Marik grunted is frustration. "Hurry up and end your turn pharaoh!"  
  
"Fine. I'll place these two cards face down and end my turn."  
  
Wes/Marik was trying to come up with a strategy. [Knowing Yugi, he's played one card to hurt my monster and one to help his. Bethany over there is completely brain dead. So that leaves Zander.]  
  
"La Jinn attack Zander's face down monster!"  
  
"Not so fast." Zander interrupted. "Did you for get about my little Gravekeeper?" A card appeared, impaled on the Gravekeeper's pitchfork. "Show us, Gravekeeper, what card is sent to the graveyard." Slowly the Gravekeeper removed the card from the pitchfork. "An Opticlops. A very strong monster and one of Wes's personal favorites. Too bad it's in the grave yard now."  
  
"Shut up! My attack still continues! La Jinn, destroy his monster!"  
  
"Again you jump to conclusions. My monster is the Giant Soldier of Stone and it has 2,000 defense points while your La Jinn only has 1800 attack points. Which means..."  
  
"Which means I lose another 200 life points." Wes/Marik said in frustration as his life points dropped down to 3350. "And you don't have to answer a riddle because it was my own attack!"  
  
"So now it's my turn." Zander drew another card from his deck. "I'll play the Witty Phantom in attack mode (atk.1400 def.1300) and move my Soldier into attack as well. Now I'll play the magic card Shield & Sword. Giant Soldier of Stone attack Beth's monster." The Giant Soldier of Stone pulled out the stone sword from its left shoulder and threw it at the hidden monster. The hidden monster quickly appeared it was the Pharaoh's Servant; the stone sword impaled the servant as he shattered into pieces. "Now Marik it's your turn. Since I played Shield & Sword my Phantom has an attack of 1300 and you La Jinn only has 1000. So, Witty Phantom attack!" The Phantom shot a playing card up his sleeve into his hand and then threw it at La Jinn. La Jinn was destroyed in a puff of smoke. The sarcophagus opened up again and the sand flew out just like before. The sand spelled out the riddle.  
  
"IF YOU WERE RUNNING A RACE, AND YOU PASSEDTHE PERSON IN 2ND PLACE, WHAT PLACE WOULD YOU BE IN NOW?"  
  
"You'd be in second?"  
  
"CORRECT." The sand again flew into the sarcophagus as Wes/Marik's life points dropped again to 3050.  
  
It was Beth's turn again. With out making a sound and with no signs of thought she placed one monster in defense and placed one more card face down. She made no more movements and it was Yugi's turn.  
  
"I'll activate my magic card Brain Control." Yugi stated as the card that was face down turned face up. As Beth's face down monster (Pharaonic Protector) glided onto Yugi's side of the field she activated her trap card The First Sarcophagus. The Sarcophagus appeared on her side of the field and just laid there.  
  
"Yugi, by any chance do you know what that does?" Zander inquired.  
  
"Sorry, but I don't." Yugi answered back.  
  
"Great, something else we have to worry about."  
  
"Anyway, I'll sacrifice Gazelle and the Pharaonic Protector to summon my Dark Magician. Zander who do you think I should attack? Marik?"  
  
"Yeah, go right ahead. The sooner we beat him the better."  
  
"All right then, Dark Magician attack Marik directly!"  
  
Wes/Marik laughed at their impatience. "Not so fast Pharaoh! You must answer the riddle first. Or did you forget that?" As he spoke the sarcophagus opened up again and the sand took formation in the air.  
  
"WHICH IS HEAIVER; A POUND OF GOLD OR A POUND OF FEATHERS?"  
  
Yugi replied quickly. "Their weight would be the same."  
  
"INCORRECT"  
  
"What?" Yugi asked very puzzled.  
  
"THE WEIGHT SCALE OF GOLD IS DIFFERENT THAN THE WEIGHT SCALE OF ANYTHING ELSE. SO A POUND OF GOLD WEIGHTS MORE THEN A POUND OF FEATHERS." The sand did not move back into the Sarcophagus.  
  
"Ha ha ha! Looks like the pharaoh isn't as smart as I thought." Wes/Marik cackled will glee.  
  
"So, what happens now?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Just watch your Dark Magician." The sand started spinning around the Dark Magician and all at once covered his body; leaving what looked like a sand sculpture. The sarcophagus opened back up. From the top of the sculpture the sand returned to the sarcophagus leaving no trace of the Dark Magician.  
  
Yugi started to say something. "My Dark Magician..."  
  
"Is destroyed" Wes/Marik finished for him, smiling. "Now it's my turn." Wes/Marik drew his card, and smirked. "First, I play these two cards facedown. Then, I summon Chaos Necromancer in attack mode!" (Atk. 0 Def.0) "This monster receives 300 attack and defense points for each monster in my graveyard. Which brings its attack to 900. Now I'll end my turn."  
  
"It's my turn now." Zander said. "What a pathetic card. Any one of our monsters could take it out. I summon Harpie's Brother in attack mode!" he proclaimed as he played his card.  
  
"Right into my trap. I sacrifice my Necromancer to activate my trap card, Crush Card!"  
  
"No that's the same card Kaiba used on duelist kingdom!" Yugi said shocked that Wes's deck had such a rare card.  
  
"Not quite Yugi." Cameron said taking back his body from Zander's control. "You see, at the arcade in Domino you can trade in points for cards, but theirs a catch. The cards you can get are not quite as strong as their rare counter parts found in packs. This Crush Card only effects monsters with 1500 or more attack points in our hand, field, and whatever we draw for the next three turns. It's not quite as bad, but..." He paused to discard his Harpie's Brother on the field, The Total Defense Shogun, and Cyber-Tech Alligator both in his hand. "...it still hurts."  
  
"I know what you mean. Good bye Beta." Yugi said as he place the Warrior into his graveyard.  
  
"Alrigth Marik you'll leave my friends body now! Witty Phantom, Giant Soldier of Stone, attack him directly!"  
  
"I'll active my second trap card. Negate attack. I'm safe."  
  
"For now. I'll place one card face down and end my turn."  
  
Beth drew one card from her deck, besides the First Sarcophagus rose The Second Sarcophagus.  
  
"In one more turn my plane will be complete!" Wes/Marik said.  
  
"Not if I stop it." Zander said taking back control of Cameron's body. "I'll activate my magic card Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy The Second Sarcophagus."  
  
Yugi started to draw a card form his deck. "This next card could determine the fate of our duel. Take this, my Swords of Revealing Light! We are safe for 3 turns now! I also place this card facedown and end my turn."  
  
"Those swords won't change anything." said Wes/Marik as he drew a card. "I play Archfiend Soldier in attack mode (Atk. 1900 Def. 1500) and end my turn."  
  
"Now it's my turn." Zander said as he started to draw a card.  
  
"Zander, if we want to win we'll have to believe in the heart of the cards and help each other, as friends."  
  
"Yugi I am not your friend, I'm your assassin. And I will not stop for anything to finish my job. Even if it means eliminating you."  
  
"What are you saying?" Yugi asked.  
  
"You remember that nutrient Z I gave you a while back? Weren't you curious why their was only one pill in the container?"  
  
"No, but now I have the feeling I should have."  
  
"You see Nutrient Z has one small side effect."  
  
"Side effect?"  
  
"You'll be experiencing a crippling headache about..." He glanced at his watch. "...now." Right on cue Yami fell on his knees, clenched his forehead with one hand and used the other to keep balance. But it was useless, he soon fell catatonic. "Well that eliminates one. Now where were we? Oh yes, I draw and active Monster Reborn, to revive Yugi's Dark Magician."  
  
Wes/Marik was surprised at what just happened but he hummed in satisfaction. "Well, I didn't see that coming."  
  
"Good. Tell me Marik why did you take Beth to be your other mind slave? Because she was a women? Because her mind was easier to get into? Because my mind was putting up a fight?"  
  
"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? Why can't I get into your head!?"  
  
"Well, Magneto, its because the millennium rod that sealed me in the shadow realm; and since then I've grown an immunity to it."  
  
"Your kidding." Wes/Marik raised his hand, palm out towards Zander. "Damn it I can't break through."  
  
"Never thought I'd say this, but thank you Seto Kaiba. But theirs another gift he gave me that you should thank him for."  
  
"Thank him for?"  
  
"The ability to remove your control over people." Zander pulled out his dagger, and pressed down on a button shaped like the symbol of the millennium. The blade of the weapon gave of a aw-inspiring glow as it shot form the handle of the blade, a rope connecting them together, and slid into the Beth's forehead. Zander tugged on the rope as his and Cameron's conscious entered Beth's mind.  
  
Beth's mind looked like a hall way, blocked by a huge door with the symbol of the millennium on it. Over to the right side the door was jammed open by the millennium puzzle.  
  
"I'm confused. What just happened?" Cameron asked the man dressed in Egyptian attire, Zander. Zander was about as tall as most grown men and looked very slim. His hair was short but a dark brown in color, with eyes to match. Even though Cameron did not really care about his own physical looks he was jealous of Zander tan and lack of acne.  
  
"Well, this is all symbolism." He started. His voice was deep yet gentle, but in it you could imagine it being very fierce and angry. "This hall way is connecting our minds to Bethany's and Eriza's. This door is Marik's control over them."  
  
"And the puzzle?"  
  
"Well when Yugi was knocked out Beth was able to loosen Marik's control. So now we just have to open it. Start pulling."  
  
"Damn this thing is heavy." Cameron moaned struggling to pull the door open.  
  
"Bethany, Eriza can you hear me?"  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR YUGI!?" The two voices shouted from the other side, their voices echoing.  
  
"That would be a yes." Cameron said with sarcasm.  
  
"Shut up Cameron. Bethany, Eriza, we need you to push on the door."  
  
"Don't worry about Yugi he'll be fine. He's just out cold."  
  
Bethany answered back. "He'd better be if you hurt him I swear I'll-"  
  
"Yeah, yeah we know the routine." Cameron and Zander responded at the same time.  
  
"What an angry young lady you are." Eriza added.  
  
"I'm not angry just ... passionate." Bethany said a little offended.  
  
"What cards are in your hand, Beth?" Cameron asked. Beth listed her cards.  
  
"Beth I need you to play the magic card Non-loyal Magician." Zander requested. "Than exchange your Dark Witch for my Millennium Shield. Trust me I have a plan."  
  
"Fine, but I'm watching you." Beth said trying not to lose her temper.  
  
Zander had to give the order. "Alright every one on 3 push or pull as hard as you can. 1. 2. 3." With all their strength the door was forced open and it disappeared.  
  
"Now, get out of my mind." Beth ordered.  
  
Back in the shadow realm the dagger slipped out of Beth's forehead leaving no mark or burse. And returned to the handle of the dagger. The symbol vanished from Beth's forehead.  
  
"Their should be a limit to how long your turn lasts." Wes/Marik said in annoyance, his arms crossed.  
  
"Beth, it's your turn." Zander said.  
  
"I'll draw then play Non-loyal Magician, this card allows me to play one face down card. And I'll use it on Yugi, to play his Exchange."  
  
"What! How?" Wes/Marik asked in confusion.  
  
"Just because Yugi's out of the game, that does not mean his cards are." Beth answered. "Now Zander I'll take your Millennium Shield."  
  
"And I'll take your Dark Witch." Zander finished. "Your personal favorite if I'm not mistaken."  
  
"You guessed right Zander." She tuned to Wes/Marik. "Marik you're going down. No two ways about it."  
  
Wes/Marik grunted in anger. He was being beaten at his own shadow game. "I still have one turn and one monster. I'll sacrifice my Archfiend Soldier to summon my Summoned Skull! (Atk. 2500 Def. 1200) Now I'll equip him with Dark Energy which increases his attack by 300 points. (Atk.2800 Def.1200) Well Zander whatever your gonna do, you'd better do it now."  
  
"You're in an awful rush to lose, but if you insist. I'll sacrifice my Giant Solider of Stone to Summon the Dark Witch. (Atk. 1800 Def. 1700) Then I'll activate my Magic card. Blood Brothers."  
  
"Blood Brothers?" Wes/Marik inquired.  
  
"Blood Brothers allow me to take a monster from your deck and play it on my side of the field, and in return you get to do the same. So I'll take Wes's Steel Fan Fighter, the only non-fiend card in his deck." (Atk.2200 Def.1850)  
  
"Fine and I'll take your Seiyaryu." (Atk. 2500 Def. 2300)  
  
"All right but it won't matter much. Now for my final card I'll play All In One."  
  
"What does that do?" Bethany asked.  
  
"This card allows me to take all the attack points of all my monsters and give them to just one monster. This way I'll only have to answer one riddle. So now Dark Magician, Steel Fan Fighter, and Dark Witch give your attack points to Witty Phantom." All the other monsters attack plummeted to 0 while Witty Phantom's rose to 7900. "Marik you've kidnapped Yugi, you've taken over my best friend's mind, you've attack both Beth and I when we entered, you even turned Beth into a zombie, and to top it off you've made me late for first period. I'M PISSED! WITTY PHANTOM ATCAK HIS SUMMONED SKULL AND END ALL THIS!" The Witty Phantom shot a playing card up his sleeve into his hand and then threw at the skull, still in attack mode. In a blinding explosion the Summoned Skull was destroyed.  
  
With the laugh of a crazy man Wes/Marik asked, "You still have to answer the riddle and if you get it wrong those swords will protect you for only one more turn." The sarcophagus opened once more; the sand took place hanging in the air. "Looks like this one is hard." Marik said laughing with delight.  
  
"FIRST THINK OF THE PERSON WHO LIVES IN DISGUISE, WHO DEALS IN SECRETS AND TELL NAUGHT BUT LIES. NEXT, TELL ME WHAT'S ALWAYS THE LAST THING TO MEND, THE MIDDLE OF MIDDLE AND END OF THE END? AND FINALLY GIVE ME THE SOUND OFTEN HEARD DURING A SEARCH FOR A HARD-TO-FIND WORD. NOW STRING THEM TOGETHER, AND ANSWER ME THIS, WHICH CREATURE WOULD YOU BE UNWILLING TO KISS?"  
  
"HA, let's see you answer this one Zander. Show me how you'll defeat me. Go ahead let's see you try."  
  
Zander looked Marik right in the eyes. "A spider."  
  
"Alright, it's your funereal. You've heard his answer now show us the real solution!"  
  
The sand gathered together and spelt out the word. "CORRECT"  
  
"Sorry Marik but YOU lose!" Zander said with triumph.  
  
"Tell me how did you know the answer so quickly?" Wes/Marik asked totally bewildered as his life points dropped to 0.  
  
"It's from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, you twit. Now as we agreed, leave Wes's mind NOW!" As he spoke all the monsters diapered back into the shadows.  
  
"Of course, but you know, I can't let you leave this realm!" He raised both his hands in the air. Above them a, vortex appeared. Out of the vortex swarmed thousands of flying monsters; each one stronger then the previous. Wes's body fell limp; Marik had left along with the symbol of the millennium.  
  
"Oh Shit." Zander said looking up seeing the monsters. The monsters were very high up they would at least have a few minuets to be safe. "Beth, get Yugi I'll get Wes I have an idea."  
  
"Mind filling me in?"  
  
"You can summon monsters out side of a duel right? And I can create inanimate objects. If we combine these powers we could summon the Dokurorider."  
  
"The who?" She asked carrying Yugi's body.  
  
"This guy." He looked through his deck and found the card. "If we can summon him he can drive us out on his motorcycle."  
  
"That's a good idea. What are we waiting for?" Within seconds the Dokurorider was helping them get Yugi and Wes's unconscious bodies onto the cycle. He grabbed Beth by the waist and lifted her up and put her on his lap. He lifted Cameron and tossed him in the back. Cameron held onto the seat with all his strength, which wasn't much.  
  
"Let's get going!" Cameron suggested. The Dokurorider revved the bike and took off. "If we go through where we came in well be back at the game shop." Cameron said speaking loud enough so Beth could hear him over the wind.  
  
"Yeah so?" She asked.  
  
"We'll be even later! Dokurorider go about one eighth of a mile past the portal we came in though and then turn right."  
  
"What good will that do?" Beth asked.  
  
"It should take us out right near the school."  
  
"Why are you so obsessed about this?"  
  
"I've never been late for school in my life, and I'm going to because of that jerk." They finally reached the location. Cameron pulled out the dagger. "Zander showed me how to do this." Cameron took the dagger and reached as high as he could, jabbed the air with the dagger and pulled down. It created a hole in the shadow realm to the real world.  
  
"That is the school! How did you know how far to go?"  
  
"I was board one day. Now hurry up this hole won't stay open forever." Bethany grabbed Yugi and Wes as she dragged them through the hole. The Dokurorider returned to the shadows as did the other monsters chasing them. Moments later the fore of them were in the school trying to get passes to class.  
  
"All right Bethany, Cameron you can go to class." Started the Secretary "What happed to these two." She asked signaling to Yugi and Wes.  
  
"Um..." Cameron started.  
  
Beth save his excuse. "They hit their heads, hard. Some time in he nurse's office, and they should be fine."  
  
"Right let's get going. Come on Beth." Cameron said running down the halls. "Lets see room B-5, B-6, B-7 here its is." Cameron though out loud as he read each room number.  
  
"Sorry we're late Mr. Tokuoka." Beth said trying to pretend that nothing happened and that it was just a normal Friday.  
  
"You'd better be." Mr. Tokuoka said whit a scowl on his face. "Take your sets and I better not hear a word out of either of you." They both nodded and sat down.  
  
About ten minutes later Cameron asked, "May I go to the bathroom?"  
  
"Take the pass and hurry up." Mr. Tokuoka growled from the front of the class. Cameron grabbed the pass and instead of going to the bathroom he headed down to the nurse. Yugi and Wes were lying down in the beds they had down their. Wes was starting to wake up.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Cameron asked.  
  
"I'll be fine, just as soon as the spin stops rooming." Wes responded.  
  
"Well at least Marik didn't take your sense of humor from you."  
  
"I know you Cameron, and I know you never come to see any one just to say 'Hi' so what are you doing here?"  
  
"Just letting you know that we have detention."  
  
"For what?!" Wes asked jumping out of the bed.  
  
"Well, we were late. Tell Yugi when he come to. See you later."


	4. 4 A Killers Confession

Notes from the author: Okay the legal mumbo jumbo; I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its related companies. I do however own the characters Cameron, and Zander. The Character of Wes belongs to Lifevirus7 and the characters of Bethany and Eriza belong to Beth aka Android Eighteen. (Both of who are members of I know most of you do not like Bethany Kaiba but (and I don't mean to sound rude) you'll just have to get used to her. If this is the first chapter you're reading I highly suggest that you go back and read the past three chapters if you want to have idea of what's going on. Also please note that I am not a good speller or writer. So please forgive my misuses of "Their" "There" and "They're" amongst other things. Future chapters of this story will take longer to make (due to school opening soon) so please be patient. Thank you, and enjoy.

Oh, one last thing:

Thoughts

_Yami's _

"Speaking"

As he walked up the front stairs of his house, just before the door, Cameron paused and glanced at two flowerpots next to the corner of the house. Wedged in-between the two pots was an empty pack of cigarettes. He sighed and went inside. "I'm home mom!"

She answered him back from the kitchen. "Oh, how was detention?"

"Not to bad, I guess. I'm getting really good with the floor buffer."

"Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"I have to use the phone for a minute."

"That's fine with me." She said cutting a head of lettuce in half.

Cameron picked up the phone and walked up the stairs into his room. "What did Beth say her number is? Duh! Kaiba Mansion has its own area code!" Cameron punched in the three numbers. He got the answering machine, it had Seto's voice.

"You've reached the Kaiba household; although why you got the answering machine I have no idea considering the butler should've ANSWERED THE PHONE. deep breath Anyways, leave a message and I'll consider calling you back. beep"

"Why am I not surprised?" Cameron said falling backward in on his bed. Zander took over.

"_Maybe she's online?"_ Zander suggested.

"It's worth a try." Cameron sat down in his chair and signed onto DIE. (DIE stands for Domino Internet Environment.)

"_That's an interesting acronym."_ Zander noticed.

"I had a feeling you'd like it. Hey, Beth is on! Wes too! Time for a little chat."

OnlineHost: Welcome to private chat room number 36,304,921

Fiend528: hi

EgyptQueenB: Hi…um who are you?

Fiend528: beth im wes

EgyptQueenB: Oh, hello Wes. Did you start this room?

Fiend528: nope

Cartoon16Dude: I did.

EgyptQueenB: And you are…?

Cartoon16Dude: Cameron.

EgyptQueenB: Oh.

Fiend528: so what?

Cartoon16Dude: Beth do you remember what the CW homework is?

EgyptQueenB: I would not worry about it.

Cartoon16Dude: why not?

EgyptQueenB: A.) because tomorrow is Saturday. B.) Seto's battle city tournament starts that morning, so no school until it ends.

Cartoon16Dude: OO' How could I forget something that big?

Fiend528: cause' your u?

EgyptQueenB: Did you guys get your duel disks yet?

Fiend528: no not yet

Cartoon16Dude: How much will they cost?

EgyptQueenB: ¥10,916 (That's about $100 U.S.)

Cartoon16Dude: ¥¥ How much!

Fiend528: I think im a little short

EgyptQueenB: But if you're a duelist and you register you get one for free!

Cartoon16Dude: If you told me that first you could have saved me a heart attack.

Fiend528: so where we sign up?

EgyptQueenB: We can just meet up tomorrow morning and I can show you the place.

Fiend528: I think yugi said he was going tonight, with joey and the others

OnlineHost: EgyptQueenB has signed off.

Cartoon16Dude: ⌐⌐ How much you want to bet that she's gone off to wander all over Domino trying to find him?

Fiend528: its no bet if a sure thing

Cartoon16Dude: I can't argue with that. But I got to go as well.

Fiend528: i g2g to, little bro wants to use comp

Cartoon16Dude: You have a little brother?

OnlineHost: Fiend528 has signed off.

OnlineHost: Cartoon16Dude has signed off.

OnlineHost: Chat room closed.

Cameron yawned, stretching out his arms. He walked back out into the kitchen. "Mom, I'm tired. I'm gonna have to pass on dinner tonight."

"Is something bothering you?" She asked.

"No, just a busy day."

"All right, I'll save some in the fridge for you."

"Thanks." He said as he walked back into his room. About an hour later he was fast asleep. Fast, but not peaceful. "No! Stay away... Don't you... Mother!" Cameron shot up in his bed in a cold sweat.

"_Is every thing alright, Cameron?"_ Zander asked.

"Yeah. Guess I just have monsters on the brain." He glanced at the clock. Midnight. He stared at the computer. "Might as well see what my horoscope says today." He signed back onto DIE. Wes was not on, but for some reason both Beth and Yugi were.

OnlineHost: Welcome to private chat room number 4,031,928

Cartoon16Dude: So um…what's up?

EgyptQueenB: Well, other then the fact that we all have extreme insomnia, not to much.

DMagician469: Um… Who's cartoon16dude?

Cartoon16Dude: A true gentlemen would introduce himself first before asking for someone else's name.

DMagician469: I'm Yugi.

Cartoon16Dude: This is Cameron. Hey, Yugi about the 4 way duel yesterday…

DMagician469: What about it?

Cartoon16Dude: Was it me or did Marik lose easily?

EgyptQueenB: Now that you mention it I noticed that too.

DMagician469: Well from what Wes told me, down in the nurse's office, it seems that he was the closest duelist to where I was.

EgyptQueenB: So Marik did not get a chance to put better cards into Wes's deck.

Cartoon16Dude: That's good. I'd hate to duel Marik at his peak.

DMagician469: Bakura just signed in.

EgyptQueenB: Give me a minute I'll invite him in.

AngelicDemon: Oh why hello everybody.

Cartoon16Dude: But something is still bothering me.

DMagician469: What is it Cameron?

Cartoon16Dude: Right now this is Zander.

DMagician469: It is? Well what's the problem?

Cartoon16Dude: The problem is that I'm still here.

EgyptQueenB: Why is that a problem?

Cartoon16Dude: High Priest Seto said I was to "finish him off". Him being Yami. But I should have passed on when he was defeated.

DMagician469: Defeated? You knocked me out.

Cartoon16Dude: That's true but the puzzle's power should have gone to Marik and then I defeated Yami in Marik's body. So I should not be.

AngelicDemon: Did I miss a memo or something?

EgyptQueenB: You see Cameron has a millennium item like us. His is a dagger.

AngelicDemon: nods

EgyptQueenB: The spirit in it was once an assassin. I forget how the rest of it goes, BUT HE KILLED MY PHARAOH!

Cartoon16Dude: You see High Priest Seto ordered me "To finish him off if I lose." So I played along for a bit. But when Seto lost, I refused to kill. So as a reward he sealed my soul in the dagger, (Causing it to become a millennium item) and then tossed the dagger into the shadow realm.

AngelicDemon: So why do you have to do what he says? He's been dead for well more then a millennium.

Cartoon16Dude: He placed a curse on me so I can't pass on until I follow out his wishes. Which I did.

DMagician469: Sounds like you should talk to Ishizu or maybe Shadi.

Cartoon16Dude: I guess it could not hurt.

EgyptQueenB: Um… I have a stupid question.

DMagician469: What is it?

EgyptQueenB: Why are we all awake?

Cartoon16Dude: Nightmare.

DMagician469: Me too.

AngelicDemon: Dido.

EgyptQueenB: This is almost scary, I had one too.

Cartoon16Dude: I wonder what the four of us have in common.

AngelicDemon: Millennium items?

Cartoon16Dude: Maybe. But it's probably something more then that. Yawn I need to go back to sleep. I'll see you guys tomorrow.

OnlineHost: Cartoon16Dude has signed off.

DMagician469: I hope Serenity's surgery goes okay. Joey went to see her tonight.

EgyptQueenB: I'm sure they'll be just fine.

OnlineHost: EgyptQueenB has signed off.

OnlineHost: AngelicDemon has signed off.

OnlineHost: DMagician469 has signed off.

OnlineHost: Chat room closed.

Cameron shut his computer down and crawled back into bed. Zander just has to ask_. "So Cameron, what did your horoscope say?"_

"Emphasis on your career or social standing will require that you pay attention to what others think of you."

"_What does that mean?"_

"I haven't the slightest idea. Now go to sleep." His eye lids slowly shut as the both of them drifted back to sleep.

He awoke up to the sound voices coming from the first floor. He could not recognize them at first but he could tell one was his mother's. He went over to his dresser and grabbed an outfit; brown vest, red short sleeve shirt, a white long sleeved shirt under it, black jeans, and his blue hat. With Zander's dagger concealed in an inside pocket of the vest. Cameron grabbed his deck and back pack and walked down the steps into the living room. Due to his displeasure Bethany, Wes, and some other girl he did not know were all sitting on the couch. Wes at the far left end Beth at the right and mystery girl in wedge between them. Beth was drinking some tea his mother had made. Mystery girl was a little shorter then Bethany, and had long brown hair that went down to her shoulders. She was wearing a light blue shirt with no sleeves, along with dark blue jeans that covered the tops of her shoes. She also seemed to have a sketch pad with her.

"What is this, a PTA meeting?" Cameron asked in his 'Do not disturb first thing in the morning or else I'll rip your head off' attitude.

"Cameron that's no way to talk to your guests." His mother scolded him.

"How are they my guests if they invited them selves over?"

"Well," Bethany started. "we came here to pick you up. We figured you'd forgotten… again." She placed an empty tea cup on a small tray in front of her.

"Would you like any more?" Cameron's mom asked. Bethany signaled a "no" with her hands. The large orange cat sitting behind her on the couch had decided to sniff at her blue hair. Cameron just noticed that his black cat fell asleep on Wes's lap.

Cameron lifted his back pack off his shoulders and placed it on the table. He opened it and started to put snacks, drinks, and other food into it. "Just so you guys know. I was preparing since last night."

"Then why are you bringing food?" The mystery girl asked.

"Do you have any idea how much Almondo (the local coffee shop in Domino) charges for a bottle of water?"

The girl placed her hand on her chin. "Didn't think of it that way."

"Well I did." He placed a few more bottles of water into his backpack. "Who are you any way?"

"How rude of me, my name is Kim."

"And why are you in my house?" He asked placing some bottled water into his back.

"I came with Bethany and Wes."

"We're friends from anime camp!" Beth added.

Inside Cameron's head Zander had to say something. _Great just what we need, another Beth. _Well maybe if she does not know you're an assassin every thing will be all right.

"Anime camp?" Cameron asked. "A summer camp about Japanese anime?"

"Yep! I ra--- moved here from America." Kim said with a huge grin on her face.

"And you duel?" Cameron asked taking out a juice from the fridge and drinking it.

"Yes I do. But I haven't signed up yet."

"What type of deck do you play?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"Well if it helps you any…" He pointed at Beth. "Fairies and Magicians." He pointed at Wes. "Fiends." He pointed straight down at him self. "Mixed bag." He tossed the empty bottle into the trash can.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Um..." Wes said "I don't mean to rush this but can we get going? I can't feel my legs." Cameron squatted down and made some clicking noises with his mouth. The cat woke up, hoped down from Wes's lap, and went over to Cameron. "How'd you do that?" Wes inquired.

Cameron had started petting the cat. "You can communicate with anything if you try hard enough." He checked his watch. "We really should be going."

"Cameron! You'll forget your keys again." His mom said. Cameron gave a nervous laugh.

"Thanks…again." He grabbed his keys and walk out side.

About fifteen minuets later Beth, Cameron, Kim, and Wes were only one block away from the registry. Wes had just wiped the last of the cat hair off his red and black shorts. He had starting eating a bag of chips Cameron brought, but he stained his red shirt with the grease. Kim didn't say much but she constantly drew in her sketch book. Cameron had started struggling from the weight of his back pack. He had packed more then he can carry. "Can I get a little help here?" He asked falling down. A small orb bounced out of his vest's pocket and rolled on the ground.

"Hey what's this?" Kim asked picking up the small white orb.

"That would be a blind sphere."

"Blind sphere?" They all asked.

"It will blind any one who looks in its direction for about three to five minuets."

"And you have this why?" Wes asked.

"Well, if we run into those rare hunters, at least we have some self-defense." He responded.

"You got anything else?" Kim asked with a slight interest. Cameron opened his vest up wide. He took the blind sphere from Kim and placed it with two others.

"Let's see, I have the dagger, a flash light, a skeleton key, a pocket knife, some rope, and these." He said pulling out a small silver bag with little purple pellets in it that look a lot like paintballs. He took out one small pellet and threw it across the street. It gave off a barley audible bang whit a purple smoke came out of it. Cameron also had a small lighter and a can full of pepper spray in his back pack. The others' eyes grew wide.

"It's a utility vest!" Beth said.

"What, do you fight crime at night or something?" Wes asked in shock.

"Cool dagger. Where'd you get it Zander?" Kim asked.

"Who's this Zander you're talking about?" Cameron asked a little worried.

"Oh don't worry about it Bethany or should I say Eriza filled me in on every thing earlier."

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope. You're an assassin who killed the pharaoh, and the queen, got his soul sealed away, and now your back to get revenge."

Zander spoke through Cameron. _"A little rough around the edge, but mostly true. But just for the record I never killed the pharaoh."_

"_YES YOU DID YOU LITTLE LIER!"_ Eriza shouted as she ran at him, her arms flailing wildly. Zander grabbed her wrists in midair so that no one would be knocked out by them.

"_You know you really are the queen of denial." _

"Bad pun." Kim said thinking out loud. "If your done walking down memory lane the registry is right over their." She pointed out a little card shop in the nearby strip mall. It was wedged in between a set of escalators. They started back off to the shop, Eriza glaring the whole way.

"You know, all that glaring can't be healthy on your eyes." Wes pointed out.

"_Shut up Wes!" _Eriza said quickly as they walked into the air conditioned shop.

"What can I do for you kids?" The man behind the counter asked. He was not very old, about twenty-four or twenty-five.

"We've come to sign up for battle city." Wes pointed out, while rubbing a red hand shaped make on his face in the exact same shape as Beth's hand.

"Just in time only another hour and a half 'till it kicks off. Just tell me your name and I'll set you guys up."

"Wes Agmes."

The clerk typed in his name. "Okay it appears her you are eligible to enter. And your rarest card is the…" He was silent for a second. "I see it's the Masked Beast." (Atk. 3200 Def. 1800) "How did you get such a powerful card?"

"I won it at the Domino Arcade. Cameron's deck and mine were pretty much built twenty-five cents at a time."

"That's interesting. Anyways here's your free duel disk. Good luck. Next!"

"Cameron Hawkings." Again the clerk punched up his name.

"You are also eligible. Your rarest card is The Magician Dragon?" (Atk. 2700 Def. 2100)

"He has a very unique effect." Cameron started. "Every time he destroyers a monster in defense mode half of that monster's defense gets added to his own. If I do that a few times then play Shield & Sword, well you get the idea."

"That's a good strategy. Here's you disk. Next!"

"Bethany Kaiba." She said speaking again.

The clerk quickly typed in her name. "Let's see, your rarest card is…" He was in shock. "Your rarest card is The Cosmo Queen? (Atk. 2900 Def. 2450) Well, here's your duel disk"

"When you're a Kaiba you get access to all sorts of strong cards."

"In other words," Kim added "She bothered Seto until he got it for her." Beth gave her a friendly jab with her elbow.

"And what's your name?" The clerk asked Kim.

"My name is Kim Ames."

"I'm sorry your name isn't in our computer. What's your full name?"

Kim gave an annoyed sigh. "Kimberly Ann Ames."

"Here it is, it was filed under Ann not Kim, it'll take me a moment to fix it." His eyes grew to the size of duel disks. "Whoa! Your rarest card is Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End? (Atk. 3000 Def. 2500) How? I own this card shop and never pulled one!"

Kim grinned widely and giggled as she took her duel disk. "When you know a Kaiba you get access to all sorts of strong cards."

"Well I guess with all the money I'll save from lying off that employee will allow me to get some more cards my self."

"Why'd you half to lay him off?" Wes asked.

"He let some no-name duelist enter battle city."

"Who?"

"The name was…Johnny Roller …or something like that."

"No one I know." Cameron said. Beth glanced at his watch. She grabbed Cameron's collar with one hand and Kim's in the other. Kim in turned grabbed Wes. With all of then in hand Beth sprinted out of the store and across Domino. They were about to be late to meet Yugi.

The clerk stuck his head out the door of the store. "GOOD LUCK!" He shouted at the fading silhouette of the gang.

When Beth finally stopped running she went over to swoon over Yugi. Wes went to chat with Joey. Kim went to talk with Mai. Cameron took a moment to catch his breath. Zander was anxious about something. _We need to talk to Yugi, NOW!_ Alright, alright, calm down Zander, this is my body so if you get a heart attack so do I.

It took them no time at all to find Yugi. It was even easier since Beth was parading around him like a true otaku. "Yugi, can we talk." Cameron asked. Beth gave him a death glare. "_Privately_." Zander added.

"Don't trust him, Yugi." Beth said protectively.

"Here hold this." Cameron handed her his sheath the dagger still in it.

"And the vest, and the backpack." She demanded.

"_Fine."_ And he put down his vest and back pack. "_Can we talk now?_"

"I still don't trust you." Beth said making a face that would make any other man back down and start to cry.

"_Good. Yugi if we may._" He singed to an alley that would still be in Beth's view. Zander walked over to it and got comfortable. Yugi followed shortly.

I still don't trust him. Beth thought to her self. _We should give him the benefit of the doubt; he did save us from Marik after all._ By knocking out Yugi and Yami if you may recall. _True but if he did not care about us we wouldn't be here._ I still don't trust him. _Does something seem familiar about Cameron? Like the way he looks?_ No doesn't ring a bell to me. 

Zander sat down on an empty wooden crate, Yugi just leaded against the wall.

"_So what is it you wanted to talk about, Zander?_" Yami asked taking over Yugi's body.

"_I have to apologize for yesterday_."

"_All right, but can I ask why you decided to knocked me out?"_

"_So I can pass on to the other side." _

"_For an assassin you're in an awful rush to burn."_

"_That would be true if I were an average assassin." _

"_Average?"_

"_You see I didn't kill **to** kill. I killed because I **had** to."_

"_Had to? Everyone has the ability to say no."_

Zander gave a little laugh and a smirk._ "You are so naive to the real world." _

"_How so?"_ Yami asked.

"_You see unlike those born into royalty us peasants can't get every thing we want just by snapping our fingers, we don't have hundreds of slaves working for us, and we don't have the doctors to cure our sicknesses. We have to work for every thing we earn. This would require sacrifices we can't afford to make."_

"_You killed so you could afford nice things?" _

"_No I killed to save them."_

"_Save who?"_

"_My wife and young son, from an illness." _

Yami seemed shocked. _"You were married?"_

Zander looked over to Beth. _"So were you. _

"_Point taken." _

"_Listen, I did kill,"_ He confessed. _"but only because Priest Seto said he had a cure for their sickness. He would pay me for killing people who stood in his way of power. He even said I was the best."_ He sighed. _"Not that I'm proud of it. I doubt it'll help my story any, but when it did come time for the kill I would always aim for the mercy area. The point where the neck meets the spine. That way if they did feel any pain it would only been for a fraction of a second." _

"_I see, so you killed Seto's enemies so that your family could live on. Then you deiced to come after me." _

"_I thought we've gone over this, I did not kill you or Eriza! Just the idea of killing my pharaoh would never have entered my mind even in my darkest dreams. So Pharaoh I ask you, no beg you, for forgiveness of what I have done." _

"_I want to but how can I trust you?"_

"_I know you may doubt what I say, but not what I do. Pharaoh, Seto threatened my family; he used me for his own gain and I fell for it. Then he took every thing I ever cared about away from me. But because of his curse I can't rest in peace."_

"_Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. An ancient philosophy."_

A new voice echoed from around the corner of the ally. "It's not that ancient."

Zander quickly stood up and Yami stepped off the wall. A figure emerged from the dark shadows of the ally. A man, wearing a black shirt, and a purple full body robe marked with the symbol of the millennium. He was about five feet away and had thick black greasy hair. He spoke with what sounded like two voices.

"_Figures, another one of Marik's puppets."_ Yami said.

"_We shouldn't even waste our time with this one."_ Zander added.

"I suggest you hand me your rarest cards now!" The stranger demanded.

"_Over my dead body._ Zander you may want to rethink that." Cameron said with fear in his voice.

The stranger reached into his robe with his right hand and slowly pulled out a hand gun. "First rule of dueling, always have one last trick up your sleeve."

"_How true."_ Zander turned his head and his eye met Yami's. _"When I tell you, duck and be ready to kick. Trust me on this."_ Yami slowly nodded. Zander crossed his arms. _"I bet there aren't any bullets in that gun. _Zander don't push our luck." Out of sight from the Rare Hunter Zander was pushing open a hole in the pit of Cameron's shirt.

"Hehehe, you should listen to that alter ego of yours. I never take chances." He pulled the hammer of the gun back.

"_Now." _Zander said calmly.

Yami ducked, and in a flash Zander ripped open the pit of his shirt and griped the handle of his dagger. With the press of a button the blade of the dagger extended from the handle and slashed the man's hand. In the commotion he lifted his hand into the air so he could see for himself the size of the cut. About two inches long. Yami stood up, ran at him, kicked the gun out of his hand and proceeded to punch him in the face. The would be murderer fell on the ground.

"_I suggest you leave."_ Yami said standing over the stranger. Yami's eyes turned to stone with an imbedded glare.

The stranger, now panicking, stood up and ran down the back of the ally covering his hand.

"_How'd you do that?"_ Yami asked.

"_Very simple."_ Zander remarked at his own genius. _"He said so himself, "First rule of dueling, always have one last trick up your sleeve"."_

"_But I thought you gave the dagger to Beth." _

"_So does she. The dagger she has is a decoy made of plastic." _

"_So where did that dagger come from?" _Yami asked pointing at Zander's hand.

Zander lifted up his left arm. _"Theirs a sheath under my arm it's connected to a wire that passes around my torso." _

"_Impressive, but why go through all the trouble?" _

"_First rule of assassinations 'Never be caught defenseless'. Are you gonna be alright?" _

"_I'll be fine I'm just not use to being in a near death situation every day. How about you?"_

"_I'm gonna need a new shirt but other than that I'm fine." _

"_So I guess this makes us friends." _Yami put his hand out.

"_Only when Beth's not around." _Zander laughed and shook Yami's hand.

They walked out of the ally back to Beth who had a mixed look of worry and anger; it soon turned in to confusion when she saw the gapping hole in the side of Cameron's shirt. "Do I even want to know?" she inquired.

"Trust me you don't." Cameron answered back. He opened his back pack and pulled out the extra clothes he had packed. With that out of the way Beth resumed looking worried.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"It seems that Joey was attack by rare hunters last night and they stole his Red Eyes Black Dragon!" (Atk. 2400 Def. 2000)

"You're kidding!" Cameron was shocked.

"Well first things first we have to go find that Rare Hunter and win Joey's dragon back!" Yugi sounded like he was about to do one of Tea's friendship speeches.

"Sounds like a plan." Wes said. Standing behind him were Mai, Joey, and Kim.

Kim spoke up. "Beth and I can check the area by the movie theater."

"Me and Wes can hit the blocks by the arcade." Cameron said. Wes looked at him as if to fix his grammar but decided against it.

"Yugi and Joey can take down town. I'll take up town." Mai added.

"Great, let's split up and find Joey's red eyes." And with this remark from Beth every one headed in their respective directions.


End file.
